Science Education Idea Exchange

This resource is amazing!  SWSmith Books , a new store, has worked hard to create differentiated science readings.  This  is one of many stories they have available. They are a 6th and 7th-grade teacher who wanted to have readings that don't make students feel inadequate when it comes to reading. They include a glossary, leveled readings, and vocabulary words that  stand  out for ease of implementation. This specific resource on Darwin is 58 pages with small chapters on the history of Darwin's trip to the Galapagos Islands. There are "words to know" at the beginning of each chapter and review questions at the end. The answer key is included. If you like the resource, you can purchase the bundle for the tiered levels. Photo by  Hulki Okan Tabak  on  Unsplash They also have their  website,  if you're interested in looking at their books and novels.

Kagan seating is something I was introduced to when I taught in Nebraska. I loved the idea because the idea of intentionally pairing and seating students just makes sense! (For more information, check out this bloggers post !) I used a spreadsheet to sort my students for Kagan seating. First, I would use their last final grade percentage. Second, MAP testing for reading, since my school used MAP testing for benchmarks. Then, I would have the form sorted by grade first and reading second. From that, I could divide the class into quarts for high, high medium, low medium, and low. My strongest students were in the back of the classroom while the ones who struggled the most in science were closest to the front. (This works best to orient students based on how you use the classroom and where you spend most of your time.) How do you do your seating charts? 

This year, I wanted to offer learning as it's own reward. I had originally created a binder of science-y extensions that students would look at when they're done. I learned quickly that it wasn't very effective. I was reading an article on differentiation and it suggested making extensions/anchor activities a requirement. I had an idea! I would create a tic-tac-toe board with options on activities related to our current topic. In my grade book, I have a "0" weight category for practice assignments, like checkpoints. My students did a great job with our first go! For our physics unit, I created the board below. I wanted to incorporate different types of activities like review games, vocabulary posters, links, and quick labs. To set one up for your classroom, choose activities for your tic-tac-toe board.  Create a tic-tac-toe board with titles, descriptions, a spot for their score, and your signature. Every student should receive one when you explain y...